Sunday 6th January

ERWFL Premier Division

A busy start to the New Year in the ERWFL with 11 games taking place across both the Premier & Division One at the weekend. Both leagues exciting with the race for the title for both growing ever more intriguing as 2018 wore on, more of the same in 2019 please.

Acle United Women ending the year top of the pile leading the Premier Division began 2019 at home, AFC Dunstable Ladies making the long trip up from Bedfordshire with just the 9 available. Acle’s attack firing on all cylinders. Naomi Cooper opening the scoring for the Norfolk side on 12 minutes celebrated a 2nd goal just 6 minutes later. Lauren Bullard putting Acle 3 up on the half hour. Top scorer Grace Birchall with a headed goal making it 4-0 just before the break. Kate Pasque making it 5-0 to Acle soon after the restart. Birchall added two to complete her hat-trick and with Dunstable now down to 8 through injury added more goals, Pasque then Bullard with their 2nd goals each, double figures coming in injury time Birchall getting it her 25th of the season Acle winning 10-0.

An equally large scoreline too for 2nd placed Cambridge City Ladies to start the year away to bottom side Haringey Borough Women on Sunday. Carla Penny and Bella Simmons both celebrating a hat-trick a piece there were goals too for Erin Davies, Charlotte Gillies, Lauren Tomlinson and Anna Goggin along with captain Becca Fay who scored her 1st goal of the season on an 11-1 victory. Cambridge City unbeaten still with just 2 points dropped and 4 games in hand on the leaders the gap 3 points. Sandeep Tak with the goal for Haringey her 1st for the club.

Plenty of goals, you only need to beat the opposition by 1 to get the 3 points and that was enough for Peterborough Northern Star Ladies at the Harlow Arena to beat Harlow Ladies and travel home from Essex with the win under their belts. Katie Steward with her 11th goal of the season clinching the win for the 3rd placed side who themselves have been beaten just the once this season are 6 points off top spot but like Cambridge City have 4 games in hand on Acle.

4th placed Royston Town Ladies are themselves in a good position in the Premier Division table going into 2019, losing just the once this season themselves played 11 now like Cambridge and Peterborough Northern Star have 26 points. Were at home this Sunday against AFC Sudbury Ladies. Goals from Danielle Carty, Joanne Rutherford, Charlotte South and Georgia Gannaway seeing the Hertfordshire side win the game 4-0.

It was a good point at home for Colney Heath Ladies to start the year as they managed to hold the Wymondham Town Ladies attacking force to a goalless draw to earn a point against the 5th placed side. A much better result than the 7-0 loss Colney Heath suffered in the reverse fixture back in October.

ERWFL Division One

Like the Premier Division in the ERWFL the title race in Division One is proving just as exciting. Bowers & Pitsea Ladies the team to beat as 2019 begins top of the table the Essex side were at home to Norfolk’s King’s Lynn Town Ladies this Sunday. A solitary goal the difference at half-time advantage to Bowers & Pitsea, Sophie Dowman with the goal. A cracking strike from 30 yards seeing King’s Lynn level the scores on the hour. Bowers & Pitsea retaking the lead midway through the 2nd half Eloise Ives finding the back of the net, Georgia Fraser on target extending the lead to 3-1 with 15 minutes left. Into the final 10 minutes and King’s Lynn pulled it back to 3-2, Danielle Styles with the quick reply for Bowers & Pitsea adding a goal 5 minutes from time enough to secure the win 4-2. Tiffany Forshaw and Olivia Baker with the goals for King’s Lynn.

St Ives Town Ladies are 2nd in Division One the only unbeaten side in the league since joining the regional league this season. Their great start extended into 2019 with a home win against Hoddesdon Town Owls Ladies. Their previous meeting a 0-0 in the league and a 5-4 with away from home for St Ives in the League Cup, it was another positive result this Sunday, a goal for Emily Smith along with one for top scorer Tierney Coulson seeing St Ives win the game 2-0. Two points behind Bowers & Pitsea with 2 games in hand.

Stevenage Ladies Reserves are the defending champions were the early pacesetters results towards the end of 2018 going against them nevertheless remain firmly in contention in 3rd spot just 3 points separating the top 3 started the new year well with a comfortable home win over bottom side Hertford Town Ladies on Sunday. Emily Schofield leading the goal scoring charts now hitting a brace in the match with Faith Greene also scoring on her first start for the side. Stevenage winning 3-0.

Another side performing well at the top end of ERWFL Division One are Hutton Ladies, having strengthened their squad the Essex side have gained a prolific goalscorer in Vicky Kinsman was on target again at the weekend away to Hatfield Peverel Ladies. 4th placed Hutton though had to settle for a point as they were held to a draw by Hatfield Peverel struggling for numbers since joining the ERWFL. A good point earned for Hatfield Peverel their goalscorer Jasmine Cox on her debut, a proven goalscorer something the Essex side has been lacking.

Newmarket Town Ladies are another newcomer to the ERWFL were away from home on Sunday against Essex side Lawford Ladies, both starting life at the higher level with a defeat have since gone on to flourish developing into a competitive force more than a match for anyone on their day. Currently 5th & 6th in the table shared 6 goals on Sunday, Tess Ryan and Stacey Teager on target for Lawford, it was Newmarket who came out on top to win the 3 points thanks largely to a 2nd half hat-trick from Annabel Cuthbert the sides drawing 1-1 at half-time Brooke Wickens with the visitors goal. 16-year old Cuthbert putting Newmarket 2-1 up on 55 minutes added a 2nd just 2 minutes later her hat-trick coming in the 70th minute.

2018 overall a tough one for Bishops Stortford Ladies, started 2019 on a positive note earning a point at home to Cambridgeshire side Histon Ladies on Sunday. Histon getting themselves into the lead in the 35th minute Charlotte Westrope turning the ball in the back of the net. A complete turn around though late in the 1st half with Bishops Stortford firing in two goals inside 3 minutes to lead 2-1 at the whistle Brooke White with her 1st of the season and Poppy Kelly the goalscorers. Into the final 10 minutes and Bishops Stortford held the lead, Histon with a corner, Alison Wright rescuing a point levelling the scores in the 82nd minute.